Hard Time
by BreacrazyBates
Summary: Ash is back I know it's overused. An old enemy is out for revenge on Ash and now Mary-Lynette is missing.
1. Big Bears

**Chapter One**

**Mary-Lynette's POV**

As of tomorrow, it'll have been a year since Ash left. He's supposed to come back for me. It's been hard being away from him. I've had to hide that I'm more than a little depressed. Mark, Jade, Rowan, and Kestrel try to keep me distracted. It works sometimes.

I've graduated high school. Mark is over at the Burdock home. I've been cleaning to keep myself distracted today. I'm home alone. There's a knock on the front door.

"Coming!" I say, putting down my rag. I wipe my hands on my jeans and answer the door. In the doorway stands a young man. He's around my age with green eyes. He has brown hair and his face is screwed up in an almost wicked expression. I blink. I honestly don't recognize him.

"I'm looking for Mary-Lynette," he says. I blink, being caught by surpirse again.

"I'm Mary-Lynette," I say, trying to see if I can recognize him. I hear my phone buzz in my pocket.

"I'm Josh. I'm a friend of Ash's. May I come in?" he asks. I move aside, not sure what to do. He moves over to sit on the couch. I pick up my phone. A missed call from Jade. I call back.

"Jade? What is it?" I ask, straightening somethings around the living room. Josh stiffens. I hear an almost scream from the other end.

"Ash is here! He's waiting for you. He's taking the phone," Jade says. I hear a quiet arguement.

"Mare?" a voice says. Ash. I can't believe it! It's Ash!

"Ash!" I all but scream," I'll be there..." A hand closes over my mouth. I stiffle a shriek. My phone is closed and crushed.

"I lied. I have a score to settle with him. You should do fine," It's Josh. His arm goes around my waist, and just like that, were moving. I struggle to get free.

**Ash's POV**

"Ash! I'll be there..." The voice I've been waiting to hear is cut off. There's a sound I can't quite catch at the other end.

"Mare? Mare!" I yell as the call cuts off. I take off, running to her house. The door is wide open and Mary-Lynette is nowhere in sight.

"Mary-Lynette! Mare, where are you!" I yell. I'm beyond freaking out. I'm just plain scared now. She's nowhere in the house. I've checked three times.

In the livingroom, I find her crushed phone. I smell a scent that stops me in my tracks. It can't be!

"Ash! What's going on?" Jade asks, coming up behind me. I'm still frozen.

"Mary-Lynette. She's been taken. By Josh," I say, barely able to speak the words.

"Whose Josh?" Mark asks, eyebrows raised in cofusion.

"When Ash was younger, he had a friends named Josh. Josh was a shapeshifter. Able to become a bear. Ash discovered that Josh liked to kill people and Ash stopped him from killing a little girl. He has a grudge against Ash now. How did he find out about Mare, though?" Rowan explains. I shake my head.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. When I find him, he's going to wish he was dead. If he hurt her..." my voice trails off. No one is going to hurt Mary-Lynette. Not if I can do anything about it. I didn't wait an entire year to lose her now.


	2. Oh Look! A Chair!

**Chapter Two**

**Mary-Lynette's POV**

"So your Ash's soulmate. He must of been very upset to find that out," Josh says. He sets me on my feet and I jerk away from him. He grabs my wrist and I yank, trying to get free. I lean down and bite his hand hard. He slaps me.

"You little bitch. Looks like I'm going to have to teach you a lesson," he growls. He grabs me by the throat and slams me against the wall. I squirm, and kick my foot out, hitting him where it hurts. He drops me and I scramble out the door of the room were in. I find a kitchen. He comes after me and I grab a chair, slamming it over his head.

He goes down. I find a frying pan and hit him in the head before he can get out, effectively knocking him out. I open the door and take off, having no idea where I am. We traveled for an hour or so before we go here. I sigh.

"C'mon, Mary-Lynette. Get back to Ash. He'll know what to, well probably not but I want to see him," I say, steeling myself. I walk forward, hoping to get as from here as possible.

**Ash's POV**

I follow Josh's scent. He's never been good at hiding his trail. I find a little cottage. Jade, Kestrel, and Rowan are with me. We convinced Mark to stay back with his parents to tell them that Mary-Lynette stayed the night with Jade.

"She was here. She took off this way," Jade says. I hope she's right.

**Mary-Lynette's POV**

I have no idea how long I've been walking. It's getting dark and I'm worried that I'll never find my way out. Something hits me from behind and I cry out.

"You thought you could get away from me that easily?" Josh growls," I need to get rid of you, Ash is near."

"Ash! Ash, help!" I yell, trying to distract him. He groans in frustration and pushes off of me. I hear the tearing of clothes and then there's a bear in his place. I freeze," No way," I breathe.

I turn and take off. I'm tackled again, claws cutting my arms. I whimper. He raises a paw and begins to bring it down. There's a flash and then someone's stopping it. Jade.

"Are you okay Mare?" she asks breathelessly. Arms wrap around me and pull me free. I get a few more stratches but I don't care. All I see is Ash, holding up a gun. Three shots ring out and the bear is down, turning back into a human. Ash throws the gun and wraps his arm around me.

"Mare. Oh god, I missed you," he breathes, burying his face in my hair. Tear fall down my cheeks. They're not because of what happened, I just missed Ash more than anything. It hurt to be apart.

"Ash, I missed you so much," I sob.

"I'm never leaving you again," he says. I'm okay with that. I turn his face to mine and kiss him. The shock hurts for a second and then it's just perfect. Just pure Ash. His arms wrap around me and tangle my fingers in his hair. I've never been happier.

"So... you slayed a dragon," I whisper when we pull back to breathe. He laughs and wipes tears from my face. There are a few on his face too, but he doesn't care. It begins to rain.

"Slayed it and cut it into tiny pieces to make sure it was dead," he says, smiling broadly. I wipe his cheeks and smile back.

"How did you do that?" I ask. I trust that he did it but I'm still curious.

"I'll tell you later. Right now, I'm getting soaked and I know your cold," he says. It's true. I'm shivering and he wraps me in his arms. Jade, Rowan, and Kestrel must of taken off. Everything is as it should be. I'm with Ash and he's never leaving me again. Not if I have anything to say about it.


	3. Nightmare Loses

**Chapter Three**

**Ash's POV**

Mary-Lynette fell asleep while we were coming back. I craddle her to my chest, happy to have her safe and in my arms, as cheesy as that is. I'm glad we got to her in time. From what Jade told me, if we had been even a second later, she would of been dead.

He was going to kill her. That makes me so mad. And scared. I'm not letting her out of my sight. I almost lost her. She stirs a little as I get to the farm and carry her in the house. I carry her to the room I'm supposed to stay in and lay her on the bed. When I start to walk away, she grabs my wrist. I stop.

"Stay Ash. Please," she whispers. I nod and climb in the bed with her, pulling her to my chest. I breathe in her scent and she cuddles against me. She falls back asleep.

"Your okay now," I whisper in her ear. I doze off, not really asleep but not really awake either.

"Ash," Mary-Lynette murmurs, it's almost like a moan. A scared moan. I freeze and open my eyes," Jeremy, NO!" she sits bolt upright. I grab her and craddle her in my arms.

"Shhh," I whisper," It's okay. Your okay," I say rocking her. She cries into my shoulder. A nightmare. A nightmare about Jeremy.

"What happened in your dream, Mare?" I ask, needing to know. She's had this dream more than once, I can tell.

"It was the fight with Jeremy, except, this time... he killed you Ash. You were dead and I was alone," she whispers. I blink in surprise, then I kiss her forehead and hold her closer.

"That won't happen Mare. I'm here and I'm not leaving you again," I say, kissing her. It's a short kiss, full of love and understanding.

"I love you. I didn't get a chance to say that earlier," she whispers, cuddling against me. I smile and hold her close. I have two questions to ask her tomorrow. I hope she agrees.


	4. Questions, questions, questions

**Sorry it took so long to update, my laptop was broken. Thanks for sticking with me guys.**

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**Chapter Four**

**Mary-Lynette's POV:**

I wake up slowly, warm and happy for the first time in a year. Ash's arms are wrapped tightly around me, his face burried in the side of my neck. I turn in his arms, careful not to wake him.

I kiss his cheek and stroke his hair for a second before I slide out of his arms and walk to the bathroom down the hall. When I come back, Ash is leaning up on his elbow in the bed. I slide back in, curling against his chest. He smiles down at me.

"I have two questions for you," he says, pulling me closer and then turning on his back so I'm draped over his chest. I smile down at him.

"Okay. So your questions?" I ask, laying my head at the base of his throat. His throat rumbles when he speaks.

"Will you go on a proper date with me?" he asks, turning my face towards his to gauge my reaction. I smile.

"I would love to," I say, leaning down and kissing his cheek," Your other question?"

"Would you leave with me? I know that you want to go to college but I have it all figured out. I have a permit residence with Circle Daybreak, a group of everyone who is against the bad people of my world basically, including humans. They can protect you and there's a college near-by that you can go to. Please?" he pulls the puupydog face. I close my eyes.

"Why do I need to be protected?" I ask.

"Because, Josh is not the only one that has a grudge against me. For every good deed we do, there is someone we are making angry. I can't leave you here alone because you could be hurt or killed. Josh was just the beginning," he says, his eyes sad.

"I want to go, I really do but are you sure it's a good idea. What if they don't like me?" I ask, hiding my face in his neck.

"They'll love you. You'll fit right in with the rest of them. Even my annoying cousin James and his girlfriend, Poppy," he says. I laugh.

"I don't know if I can...


	5. Date Night Part 1

**Sorry it took so long to update... my laptop is still broken... I'm on the home computer which makes my updating less sorry.**

**On the bright side, you guys are still awesome!**

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**Chapter Five**

**Mary-Lynette's POV:**

"I don't know if I can say no," I whisper, smiling down at him. He flips us over and presses his lips to mine. His lips are warm against mine. His arms wrap around my back and mine go around his neck. He pulls back, kisses my forehead and grins at me. His eyes are violet.

"Good. I didn't want to have to beg you," he whispers in my ear. I laugh and move to tuck and piece of my hair behind my ear. He nuzzles my neck, exhaling. I shiver.

"How long until we have to leave? Plus I need to enroll at the college," I say. He pulls up.

"We can leave whenever your ready. And, actually, I kind of enrolled you, already," he says, avoiding my gaze.

"You what?" I ask, freezing. I'm stunned, I don't know whether to be happy that he thought of me or angry that he did it without telling me. I settle for somewhere between.

"Well, I enrolled you so that if you said yes, you didn't have to worry," he syas, burying his face in my neck to avoid looking at my expression.

"How did you get a hold of my scores and what about the application? How did you fill it out?" I ask, curious at how that happened.

"It's not hard to get a hold of records, Mare," he says simply. I want to ask more but I'm sure that he's not going to tell me.

"So when do you want to do this date?" I ask, deciding to change the subject. He leans down and kisses the corner of my mouth.

"How about tonight?" he whispers. I nod and turn my head to press my lips fully to his.

(Time Skip)

Ash is picking me up in about 15 minutes. I've pulled part of my hair back in a barrette to keep it out of my face. I went with a little bit of light make up. My dress is black and falls to my knees. It's strapless and I know it's a big cliche and its really simple but I love it and I hope Ash will too. There's a knock on the door.

"Are you ready Mare?" Ash's voice floats through the door. I grab my necklace and slip it over my neck. It's a simple gold chain with a crystal hanging from it. Mark gave it to me as a present for graduating. I open the door and slip out.

"I'm ready," I say, tapping his shoulder. He turns around and just stares at me. He gives me a once over and then grins at me, taking my hand. He brushes a kiss over my cheek.

"You look beautiful," he whispers.

"So, what are we doing?" I ask, squeeing his hand. He winks at me.

"Thats a suprise," he says, grinning. I pout. Well, here goes nothing.


	6. Date Night Part 2

**Sorry it took so long. Laptop still down but I was sick today so I had time to update.**

**I love you guys! Leave reviews on what you think!**

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**Chapter Six**

**Mary-Lynette's POV:**

Ash leads me out to his car, opening the door for me when we get there. I smile at him and slide in the car. He closes the door behind me. He gets in and starts the car.

"Please tell me where were going," I beg, getting no response, yet again. I sigh and slump back in my seat. Something brushes my cheek and I turn to see Ash smiling. I roll my eyes and smile back at him.

"It'll take maybe 15 minutes to get there," he says, beginning to drive. I lean back in the seat and look at him. He has on a dark blue dress shirt and black slacks. We drive to the next town and to this fancy restraunt. I blink at him in surprise. He just smiles.

He turns off the car and gets out, running around the side of the car to open my door. He helps me out and then closes the door, leading me into the restraunt.

"Redfern, table for two," Ash tells the lady. She leads us to a table upstairs on a balcony. We can see all the stars from up here.

"What can I get you two to drink?" she asks, pulling out her order pad.

"I'll take a water," I say, picking up my menu. Everything looks great but I'm actually not that hungry for some reason. I almost feel like something isn't quite right.

"Me too," Ash says, reaching across the table to take my hand. He smiles at me and reaches across the table to take my hand. I squeeze his hand.

"This is beautiful," I say, gazing up at the stars.

"That's why I picked it," he whispers," but it doesn't compare to you."

The waitress comes back with our drinks. I order the spaghettie while Ash orders a steak. She nods and walks off. Ash leans forward and presses his lips to mine. I smile under his lips and kiss him back, my hands moivng to cup his face.

"Ash?" a distinctly male voice says from the doorway. I turn to see a man I don't recognize. He's looking at me and Ash in shock.

"Dad?" Ash says, as shocked as the man. The man's expression turns to one of fury. He dashes forward and slaps Ash.

"What are you doing!? Are you stupid!?" his dad shouts. I see Ash's eyes turn color again and I watch him glance at me, eyesing my expression. I'm a little afraid.

"Stop dad, your scaring her," Ash says calmly. His dad turns toward me.

"Scaring her!? I'm going to do a hell of a lot more than that! She's turned you against me!" his dad says, stalking toward me. I get up and move behind my chair. Okay, now I'm scared.

"Don't touch her!?" Ash says, attempting to jump forward. I'm not quite sure what happened but the next second, Ash is on the floor, unmoving.

"You, you ruined my son," he growls. I push my fear aside and grip the chair, my knuckles turning white. I grab it and hit him with it. One of the legs breaks off and I grab it and hold it. The end is sharp and pointed where it broke. He looks at me, shocked.

"Stay away from me," I say, my voice is calm. A lot calmer than I am. I plant my feet and grip the stake tightly. This so didn't go as planned.


	7. Daddy Issues

**I know it's not that long but I have a bit of writer's block so I'm seeing what I can do. R&R plz**

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**Chapter Seven**

**Mary-Lynette's POV:**

I clench my hand tightly around the stake, my heart beating fast. Obviously, Ash's father blames me for Ash's change of heart. He glares at me, fire in his eyes.

"Your going to die for what you did. You broke my son, now I'm going to break you," he snarls, his fangs flashing brightly. My hand shakes just a little then the world takes on a bit of clarity.

He leaps at me, eyes flashing. I have time to jump out of the way before he hits. I swing my stake, catching him in the cheek. He snarls in pain and anger. I don't think I'm strong enough to do this.

Leap, dodge, leap, dodge. Were captured in a perpetual dance that I will lose if I don't do something soon. I see Ash stir out of the corner of my eye just as a hand grabs me and throws me against the wall.

I clench my teeth against crying out. Ash gets up, his eyes red with fury. He hits his father over and over again. His eyes are frantic, afraid even. His father looks stunned and surprised.

"Don't let her control you. You can break free!" his father yells wildly.

"Mare, the stake," Ash says, his voice deathly quiet. I hand him the stake, my hands shaking. I stand up, sore but otherwise okay.

I watch Ash drive the stake through his father's heart. I duck my head as Ash stands. He grabs me, pulls me into his arms and hides his head in my shoulder.

I hold him, rocking him back and forth. His tears wet my shoulder as I stroke his hair. I wish it hadn't of come to this. Maybe there was some way to prevent this. Maybe me being with him puts him in danger. I mean look at what happened.

I love him but if it's dangerous for us to be together... I'm not going to let Ash get hurt. Maybe we were never meant to be together. These doubts run through my head and I'm not sure what to think.


	8. Blame, Blame, Blame

**Chapter Eight**

**Mary-Lynette's POV:**

****The silence in the car is like a stone wall between us. Neither of us wants to bring up what happened in the restraunt. Ash threw the body over the edge of the balcony to make it look like an accident. We left the restraunt shortly after that. Neither of us has said a word since. Ash's knuckles are so tight on the steering wheel that I'm afraid he's going to snap it in half.

I reach over and touch his hand lightly. He looks over at me and then looks back at the road, sighing deeply. I watch the muscles in his hand relax. He smiles at me and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear softly. I can still see the sadness lurking in his eyes. I take his hand and squeeze it.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, looking down at our hands. The car stops and he gently lifts my chin. He looks into my eyes and puts his hands on both cheeks and stares into my face.

"Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault," he says, staring at me. He frowns at me and pulls me into his chest. He strokes my hair and holds me tightly.

"He attacked because you were with me," I say, closing my eyes. His head shakes back and forth repeatedly.

"It's not your fault. I made my choice just like my father made his choice," Ash says, pulling back to look at my face. We're supposed to leave in about a week for... well, wherever we're going.

"Well then, you can't blame yourself either. And before you can interrupt me, I know that you do," I say, hushing Ash's protests. He leans forward and kisses me chastely.

"It's a deal," Ash says, sighing.

**Time skip:**

Ash and I drop off our bags and go through airport security. After we find out seats, I slump in mine, automatically resting my head on Ash's shoulder. I'm extremely tired (It's like six in the morning).

Before I fall asleep, I take a second to worry about what all of Ash's friends will think of me. I'm a little nervous. Ash wraps his arms around me and tightens his grip.

"Don't worry. They'll love you," Ash whispers. He always knows the right thing to say. I fade back to sleep.

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**AN: Sorry, I was going to update a couple days ago but I got distracted by Fruit Ninja and box forts... long story... but anyway... you know what to do. Anyone that reads this is awesome... I love you guys! **


	9. Interesting Introductions

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I left my computer mouse at my dad's and I've had to work all the basketball games. Combine that with my youth group and all the extra work**

**I have to do for my film class and it makes a tired and overstretched Brea. **

**On a side note: You guys are still awesome... please don't burn my house down for not updating. Put the torches away!**

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**Chapter Nine**

**Mary-Lynette's POV:  
** The cab pulls up to a huge mansion. There must be at least like 30 rooms inside. I stare blankly for a few seconds before Ash nudges me, a cute grin on his face. I snap out of it and reach into the trunk to grab my messenger bag. Ash takes the rest of my bags. We walk in the front door and he sets down the bags.

"I thought you guys would be throwing me a party!" Ash yells, walking into the kitchen. I stand by the door awkwardly. I hear the murmur of voices from the kitchen.

"C'mon Mare! The party's in here," Ash yells. I clutch my messenger bag close. I steel myself and then walk into the kitchen. I'm greeted by expressions of shock.

"She actually exists," a dark-haired girl whispers. A boy stands up and walks over to me.

"Sorry, we're just surprised. We thought Ash was making you up in some kind of twisted plot. I can't believe your actually real. I'm James," the boy says, extending his hand. I shake it.

"I'm Poppy," a cute little curly-headed thing says," I'm James' soul mate. It's great to meet you. I knew that you were real. These idiots were the skeptical ones."

"Mary-Lynette," I say, smiling at the girl.

"I'm Rashel," the dark headed girl says," and this is Quinn."

"'Sup?" Quinn says.

"You'll meet everyone else later. We're all spread throughout a bunch of different houses and you just happen to room with the awesome people," Rashel says with a smirk. I laugh. These people are actually easy to be around.

"You didn't even get me a cake?" Ash complains but I can tell that he's joking.

"Hey, we're actually here so you can live without the cake," James says, sitting down and leaning back in the chair. Ash turns and chunks an apple at James. It's so fast the I can barely see it. Just as fast, James catches it with simple grace. He turns and glares at Ash who makes an innocent expression. Poppy and Rashel exchange alarmed looks then grab my arms and tow me out of the room.

"What are you doing?" I ask worriedly. They just shake their heads and pull me away faster. As Poppy and Rashel pull me upstairs, I notice that the bags that were by the front door are gone. They pull me into a room with a giant flatscreen tv in it and a wall dedicated entirely to movies.

"When the boys get like that, there's bound to be some kind of mess to clean up," Poppy explains.

"Plus, I figured that the best way to get to know someone is to have a movie marathon. We each pick two movies and then after we watch a few, we'll play some pool or fousball and then we'll watch the rest," Rashel says. I smile. It's a rare occassion for me to spend casual time with other girls, or much of anyone.

Rashel picks out Resident Evil and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Poppy picked The Notebook and Charlie St. Cloud. I, to be funny, picked Dracula and 10 Things I Hate About You. Let the fun begin.


	10. Real Breakfast

**So, I love Valentine's day. And snow days. My school didn't get out for President's day... we were like the only school around us that didn't. But the snow day repaid that debt... yay snow days!**

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**Chapter Ten**

**Mary-Lynette's POV:**

It's well after 6 o'clock in the morning before we pass out. We managed to watch every movie and there's no telling how much junk food we ate. Suprisingly, none of the guys messed with us, they were probably afraid that Rashel would eat them alive. I stir when I feel someone pick me up.

"Huh?" I murmur sleepily. A voice shushes me. It's Ash.

"Go back to sleep," Ash whispers in my ear. I look over his shoulder to see Quinn carrying Rashel and James carrying Poppy.

Ash opens a door and lays me on a bed. He lays down next to me and pulls the covers up over both of us. I cuddle into his chest. Within a few minutes, I'm back asleep in the cocoon of his arms.

I don't know how much later it is when I wake back up. I stay still. Ash is still holding me. His breathe stirs the hairs on my forehead. He murmurs something in his sleep and his arms tighten around me slightly.

I lean back and take a closer look at his face. His forehead is covered in sweat and his expression is pinched in slight terror. My eyes widen in shock.

"Ash?" I whisper, putting a hand on his cheek. His eyes open, looking around the room wildly. When his wild and frantic eyes settle on me, he seems to visibly calm. He pulls me closer.

"Are you okay?" I ask, wiping hair away from his sweaty forehead. His eyes turn from a pale blue to violet.

"I'm fine. Just a bad dream," he whispers, pressing a kiss to my forehead. I look at him doubtfully," I promise."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask, looking at the clock over his shoulder. its around 2:00 in the afternoon.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it," he says, burying his face in my hair. I sigh, knowing I'm not going to get him to budge on this.

"I'm hungry," he announces, sliding off the bed. I nod and get up too. He goes to find our bags. I change in the room while Ash goes to the bathroom down the hall.

Downstairs, I find a bleary looking Rashel making coffee. Ash hops down the stairs followed by a very peppy looking Poppy, a dishevled James and a blank looking Quinn.

"Morning Sunshine," Ash says to Rashel. She grumbles something under breathe and glares at Ash likes she's going to hit him.

Everyone settles around the kitchen table. James, Quinn, and Rashel are downing coffee like there's no tomorrow.

"So do we want Lucky Charms or Fruit Loops this morning?" Poppy asks, pulling said boxes from the cupboard. I wrinkle my nose.

"That's not real food," I say, getting up. Poppy glances at me.

"Well, none of us are very good at cooking," Rashel says with a shrug. She no longer looks like she's going to bite people's heads off, which I take as a good sign.

"I'll take care of it," I say, pulling stuff from the cupboard and fridge. 20 minutes later, I'm setting plates of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon in front of surprised people. I grab my plate of scrambled eggs and sit back down at the table.

"Only eggs?" Ash asks, raising an eyebrow. I shrug. ash, being how he is, decides to get up and investigate, discovering that there's actually nothing left.

"Here," he says, sitting back down and handing me some of his bacon. I blink in surprise as Poppy pushes half of her pancakes toward me.

"It's too much for me anyway," she says, smiling. I grin back and dig in. After everyone is full, we hear the doorbell ring.

"Who was supposed to come by today?" Ash asks, taking my hand.

"If I remember correctly, it was supposed to be..."


	11. Preparations

**I know that it's been a while and I'm sorry but... don't kill me! As always, R&R! You guys are awesome!**

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**Chapter Eleven**

**Mary-Lynette's POV:**

"If I remember correctly, it's supposed to be Jez and Morgead coming back from their vacation," Poppy says, getting up to open the door. I get up and pick up the dishes from the table, putting them in the sink. I hear the door open again and a hand stops me when I begin to wash the dishes.

"You cooked, I'll do the dishes," Poppy says, taking the plate rom my hand. I surrender, knowing I probably won't beat her in an argument. I sit back down next to Ash.

"I'm Jez and this is Morgead," a voice says. I look over to see a girl I don't recognize.

"Maty-Lynette," I say, smiling at them. Jez gives me a gaped mouth look. I raise an eyebrow, confused.

"Wait, so you're Ash's soulmate?" Jez yelps. Morgead gives me a squint eyed look.

"Yes," I say, glancing at Ash before looking back at the two of them.

"So Ash was telling the truth," Morgead says, giving Jez a smug look," I told you he wasn't faking it. There's no way someone like Ash could fake a complete change of attitude."

"Whatever," Jez says, pushing Morgead's shoulder. I look at Ash and thread my fingers through his.

"This came in the mail. It's addressed to Mary-Lynette," Rashel says, handing me a white envelope. It feels like there's a card of some sort in it. I open it and pull the card out, feeling everyone's eyes on me. It's an invitation for a masquarade ball.

"It's for a masquarade ball at Theirry's," Ash says, pulling the card from my hand. I look at them, surprised," We're all invited."

"When is it?" Poppy asks, peeking over Ash's shoulder at the card.

"Tonight," he says, handing Poppy the card.

"Awesome, I always look forward to Theirry's parties," Poppy exclaims excitedly," We can all get ready together. We have a lot of work to do," Poppy says, grabbing my arm and Jez's.

"We have one problem. I don't have anything that can be worn to a masquarade ball," I say as Poppy drags Jez and I upstairs. Rashal follows behind reluctantly.

"I'll take care of it," Poppy says, smiling at us. I sigh. This is going to be long day.

(Time Skip)

I have on a strapless, purple dress and purple heels. It's ankle length. My mask is purple and black. I also have diamond earrings and a beautiful necklace. ( cgi/set?id=76220854)

Poppy has on:  cgi/set?id=76222063

Jez has on:  cgi/set?id=76223812

Rashel has on:  cgi/set?id=76222648

"We have half an hour until the party starts so lets get going," Poppy says excitedly. I smile at her and nod. We head downstairs. I can't wait to see the expression on Ash's face.


	12. Not So Great Party

**Hey, guys! Some technical difficulties that have now been fixed... sorry about that. As always, R&R! You guys are awesome!**

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**Chapter Twelve**

**Mary-Lynette's POV:**

"You look beautiful," Ash whispers in my ear, his lips brushing it. Shivers go down my spine. I turn around to face him.

"You don't look too bad yourself," I muse, twining my fingers with his. He pulls me in for a quick kiss.

"Ahem," Quinn says loudly. I pull back, blushing. Ash doesn't look bothered in the least bit. I shake my head and smile at everyone.

"Let's go!" Poppy says excitedly. We all pile into the limo supplied by Thierry. When we get to the mansion, there's no one there.

"This doesn't look like Thierry's mansion," Rashel says, on the edge of her seat. Everyone's mood changes in a heartbeat. The door opens and we're "escorted" inside by gun point. We stop in a giant ball room. Ash positions himself in front of me, his expression serious.

"Welcome, everyone," a voice says. A older man steps out and looks at us all. His eyes settle on Ash, then on me behind him. I watch Ash's muscles tighten.

"Why, hello there Ash," the man says, his smile becoming slightly sadistic. Ash backs me up.

"Amelio," Ash snarls," What are you doing?"

"Your family screwed me over. Now I'm stricking back," Amelio says, eying me.

"My father was the one that killed your family, not me!" Ash growls, backing me farther away.

"That is true but I can't get to your father because that's already been taken care of. I'll have to do the next best thing. My mate is dead because of your family. I'm simply returning the favor," Someone grips my arm roughly, dragging me away from Ash. He turns and leaps for me. Two figures tackle him. That's when the fighting begins.

Jez and Rashel are crazy awesome fighters. Quinn and Ash are too. Morgead fights with an almost terrifying sense of ease. Poppy and James fight as a team, both making up for the other in how they fight. They I hear a shriek that pierces my heart.

I see Quinn on the ground and Rashel fighting her way to him. She's practically killing them with one touch. It's absolutely terrifying.

"Poppy, James! Get Quin and Rashel out of here!" Ash yells, fighting people with quick percision.

James and Poppy nod. They manage to escape thought I'm no sure how. My captor grips my arm tighter. His grip is almost too tight. He's close to breaking my arm. I can't help but yelp in pain.

"Let her go!" Ash yells, running towards me. The man rushs me to Amelio and hands me over.

"Hello my dear. I will offer you two choices. Either you can live as a sort of replacement for my mate or you can die with your friends," Amelio says, watching me creepily.

"There is no choice then. I will not lose my friends," I growl.

"Such a waste," he sighs, his hand wraps around my throat. I can't breathe. My throat burns as he lifts me off my feet. Everything begins growing faint. Ash yells something unintelligble and I can feel fear and anger raging through the bond. The world fades to gray.


	13. Could Things Get Any Worse?

**Hey guys! I have too much free time now. I'll try to update at least once every couple of days. I'm going on vacation next weekend though so I won't be updating for a couple of days there. As always, R&R! You guys are awesome!**

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**Chapter Thirteen**

**Mary-Lynette's POV:**

"Ugh," I mutter weakly, squinting my eyes against the light. A hand grips mine tightly and I can hear someone crying.

_Mary-Lynette, wake up. _Ash's voice begs in my head. I open my eyes all the way, peering at Ash. I feel different. It feels kind of hard to breathe.

"You're okay," Ash breathes, kissing my temple. I begin to feel even worse. I look up to see Rashel. Tears are running down her face.

"Wh-What happened?" I whisper. Ash looks striken.

"He strangled you too much. You've been out for three days. I had to... turn you or else you wouldn't have made it," Ash says, not meeting my eyes. My body freezes.

"Turn me...? As in... I'm a vampire now?" I whisper. No wonder Ash looks afraid. Rashel approaches.

"If you don't drink blood soon, then there will be some problems," Rashel says. I give her a confused look when she bares her neck to me.

"But... I could hurt you," I say, jsut barely restraining myself. It's really hard and it hurts but Rashel is my friend.

"Go ahead. I won't let you hurt her," Ash says, nudging my shoulder. With nothing else holding me back, I lean forward and sink my new fangs into Rashel's neck. I feel Ash's hand on my shoulder. He pulls me back and I feel much better. Everything looks different. I look at Rashel and I see dried tears on her face.

"Rashel, what's wrong?" I ask. More tears fall from Rashel's eyes and Ash glances down, his expression sad.

"Quinn got hurt during the fight. We don't know if he's going to make it. He hasn't opened his eyes since," Rashel says, looking at me with her teary eyes. She cries into my shoulder and I hold her close.

"He got distracted when one of the guys slapped Rashel. They got a good hit in on him and then they all went after him," Ash says, leaning his head against our entwined fingers. Not only had I turned into a vampire but Quinn could die. Could things get any worse?


	14. Not Everything Makes Sense

**Hey guys. A lot of you have been wanting me to write longer chapters so I stepped up. I hope you like it. I know it's kind of different from my usual. Leave a comment telling me what you think. As always, R&R. You guys are awesome!**

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**Chapter Fourteen**

**Quinn's POV:**

I'm not asleep, I'm just immobile. I can hear everything that's going on. Rashel rarely leaves my side but at one point when she returned, she smelled like blood... her own blood to be exact. Rashel talks to me a lot. A lot of times I can hear tears in her voice though.

I wish that I could wake up for her. Her pain drives me crazy. The Soulmate Bond seems unresponsive to me as well. I can't seem to access it at all. Whatever they did to me has given me a terribly bad reaction and I can't control it... or myself for that matter.

"Ash, you had no choice. She's going to be upset for a while but she'll get used to it," Rashel says, her voice calm. I hear the faint sound of cloth sliding over skin.

"No, she won't. Mary-Lynette didn't want to be a vampire in the first place. She never did. I just couldn't lose her though. I couldn't let her go. I made a choice that she's going to hate me for for the rest of her life," Ash says sadly.

Rashel told me that Ash turned Mary-Lynette because she was going to die. Mary-Lynette didn't want to turn and now she's confused and trying to stay away from Ash for a little while to think. Ash thinks she hates him so he's been depressed ever since she woke up.

I agree with Rashel. Mary-Lynette isn't mad at him, she's just confused. Everyone's confused when they first turn. Ash doesn't know that because he was born a vampire. She still cares about him, she just doesn't know how to deal with the big change that occurred.

I hear the scrape of a chair on the ground. The door opens and closes. Rashel sighs and tightens her grip on my hand. She clings to it, her tears dripping on the back of my hand.

"I wish you were awake. You'd know what to say to Mary-Lynette and Ash. I know you understand how she feels, being turned against your will. I don't know how to help her. She's just so confused..." she trails off.

I hear the window scrape open. There's no way that that can mean anything good. I try to speak, to do anything to warn Rashel. My hand twitches. I manage to sqeeze her hand. My eyes blink open. I see a figure behind her.

A wave of feeling goes through my body. I can move again but I'm slow. I watch the figure reach for Rashel. She's watching me, her expression excited.

"B-Behind y-you," I manage to stutter. Her eyes widen and she turns in time to see the figure pull a knife. Within seconds she's on her feet, her own knife drawn. By then, my mobility is completely back. I jump to my feet and stand beside her. I'm not sure what's going on with me though, when my hands reach for her.

"Quinn?" Rashel asks, confused. My hands pluck the knife from her hand and throw it away. That's when I realize that I'm not controlling my actions, someone else is.

"I-I can't control what I'm doing," I say, feeling myself move. Even now, I still can't feel my Soulmate Bond. I concentrate, trying to find the bond. Maybe if I can find it, I can find a way to gain control.

I find a wall in my mind, a wall I didn't build. I tear it down, needing to regain control. I can't hurt Rashel. There's nothing more important to me that her. A small part of my mind realizes that I'm frozen. I have Rashel pinned to the wall. A voice is urging me forward. I ignore it and tear the last of the wall down. Everything comes rushing back.

"I don't know who you are but I won't let you hurt Rashel," I growl, my hands balling into fists. It's Amelio... again. He managed to escape the party and they couldn't catch him.

Amelio grabs Rashel, pulling her against his chest and pressing a knife against her throat. He ties her hands behind her back as another man secures me. I refuse to fight in case they hurt Rashel.

"Now, on to the others," Amelio says, smirking. Within 20 minutes, everyone but Mary-Lynette actually. Ash looks crazy angry.

"I don't see your little girlfriend. I guess you were too late to turn her," Amelio chuckles, his eyes on Ash. Anger flares through me.

I see a shadow sneaking up behind him. I quickly look away, not wanting to draw attention to it. I look at Ash to see that he's fraying his ropes with a finger nail. I do the same thing.

"Your not as smart as you think you are," the shawdow says. Amelio turns only to get punched in the face and then tripped up. The figure steps out of the shadows, revealing it to be none other than Mary-Lynette. In her hand is a wooden stake.

"You wouldn't dare," Amelio says, backing away. Mary-Lynette glares at him.

"Actually, I'm quite sure I would," she says, her face completely serious. Amelio can tell that. He turned and tried to run. That wasn't a smart idea because it gave her an open -Lynette didn't hesitate. She stabbed him in the back with the stake.

"I didn't pierce your heart. I don't want to kill you but if you ever come after the man I love again, I will. Do you understand me?" she growls. She pulls the stake out and his guards carry him out. The ropes fall from my hands and I untie Rashel along with everyone else.

"You still have that stake?" Ash asks Mary-Lynette, his eyes wide.

"Why wouldn't I? It was a gift and it has a special meaning," Mary-Lynette shrugs and walks away. Ash looks sad and slumps in a chair. I follow Mary-Lynette. Rashel is right. I'm the only one that can understand what Mary-Lynette in this.

"I understand what your goig through," I say, coming up behind her. She's layig in a lawn chair in the back yard, staring at the stake in her hand.

"I love Ash. I always will. It's just that... everything is so disconcerting. I was human a few days ago and now... I'm not. I'm not mad at him, I just need to get everything straight in my head again. I don't mean to hurt him, I just want to think about it. This isn't what I wanted," she says, tears slipping down her cheeks. I sit in the chair next to her.

"He didn't want to lose you. He made a decision that was tough for him and he knows he hurt you. He's blaming himself for your indecision," I explain, ruffling her hair," You know what you've gotta do kid. Set it right. Your hurting yourself just as much as your hurting him."

"I know, I know. I want to but people keep using me to get to him. Maybe, if I'm not with him, he'll be safer," she says, twirling the stake in her hands.

"That's why your doing all of this?" Ash asks, sitting next to her. I knew he had been listening in from the beginning. She needs to have this talk with him. She nods, not meeting his eyes," That's crazy. I would never let anyone hurt you. Trust me when I say that I won't ever let anyone take you away from me."

Ash cups her cheek as he speaks. She blinks up at him and gives him a small smile. He pulls her into a tight hug and murmurs quiet things into her hair. Rashel walks up behind them and crosses her arms.

"Your so cute that it's sickening," Rashel mutters, sitting next to me. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and tightly. We talk about random things until early in the morning, enjoying just hanging out together and being safe.


End file.
